


nobody is perfect (everyone's to blame)

by mapshirtlou



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Fluff and Angst, I wrote this a long time ago, M/M, also uhh the major character death is pretty early on, and if you've ever seen the movie this is based on you'll see it coming, cause i only know how to write sad stuff lol, dad!joel, dad!ray, i think im the only person left on the joelay ship tragically, its also 4 am so forgive any typos, michael and lindsay have a baby in this but its not their real baby cause thats weird, so its very cheesy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-10-16 11:50:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17549150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mapshirtlou/pseuds/mapshirtlou
Summary: "The Jones' were all awake and sitting in the family room and Ray could hear the from his spot in the kitchen. They were desperately trying to get Madeline to start walking and talking, and Ray could hear Lindsay saying 'alright, Madeline, say 'mama'!" then Michael would chime in with 'nah fuck that, Linds, say 'dada'! followed by, 'Michael I swear to every single god, if our child's first word is a swear I will kick your ass!'"a life as we know it au





	nobody is perfect (everyone's to blame)

Ray had known Lindsay for as long as he could remember. They grew up on the same street, went to the same elementary, middle and high school, even went to the same college and throughout it all, they were as close as brother and sister. They were three years into their college experience, and still as close as they were as kids. Ray once fancied himself a bit in love with Lindsay, but those days had come in gone in a quick progression and they were back as best friends once again.

  
When Lindsay told Ray that she had set him up on a blind date with a friend of Lindsay's boyfriend, he had trusted her to know the kind of guy Ray liked. Lindsay had been dating this guy, Michael, for a few months and even if Ray didn't think the guy Lindsay set him up with would be good, he went simply because of her _"ray you have to go! you gotta do this for me and Michael. this guy is his best friend. our relationship lies in your hands!"_

  
So, when Ray stood in front of the mirror getting ready for this date, he didn't think it could be that bad. He tightened his tie and buttoned up his shirt, giving his mirror one last parting glance before making his way into the living room. It was 7:57 and his date was set to pick him up at 8. Ray sighed and glanced around his living room absently, rubbing his hands together before settling down on his couch and pulling his phone out.  
Lindsay had texted him a picture of his date along with a few things about him,

  
_('i'm pretty sure that defeats the purpose of a blind date, linds' -ray_  
_'how about you shut the hell up' - lindsay)_

so Ray pulled his phone out to look at it one more time.

  
He was older than Ray--Ray being 22 and Joel Heyman, his date, was 30. He had messy brown hair and wide, brown eyes, and his face was frozen in a large grin in the picture Lindsay sent him. He was an actor, apparently, but how Joel managed to have a successful acting career in Austin was beyond him. But, apparently he was pretty well off.

  
Ray glanced up at the clock; 8:13. Joel was a little late, but it's possible he had trouble finding Ray's apartment building, so he settled back down onto his couch and flicked on his TV, flipping to some random channel. Ten more minutes went by, then fifteen, and twenty, and Ray was quietly fuming.

  
Finally, at 8:39, a knock on his door was heard. Ray stood up and walked swiftly to the door, swinging it open and shoving his phone and wallet into his back pocket. Outside his door stood Joel in tattered jeans and a ratty shirt, holding a motorcycle helmet under his arm and a cigarette tucked behind his ear. He looked Ray up and down and smirked, reaching his free hand out.

  
"Joel," he said, shaking Ray's hand. "Ray, I assume?"

  
"You're correct," Ray affirmed, stepping out of his apartment and locking his door behind him. "And also late."

  
Joel shrugged and spun around, leading Ray out of his apartment building and outside to the front sidewalk of Ray's apartment.

  
"So, where's your car?" Ray asked, glancing around the parking lot.

  
"Here," Joel said, gesturing to a motorcycle.

  
"Um," Ray said, pausing. "I don't--I don't do motorcycles. I can drive?"

  
"Ok," Joel replied with an eye roll, tossing his helmet back onto the bike.

Ray led Joel over to his car, a ford fusion. Joel was 6'2, and it was hard for him to squeeze into Ray's car. His shoulders were hunched together in the passenger's seat.

"So, where are our reservations?" Ray asked, and when Joel hesitated Ray added, "The one you said you made?"

"I did?" Joel said absently. "Must've forgot. Where do you wanna go? I'll go anywhere."

"Well, let's go to this little café? My friend from culinary school--"

Ray was interrupted by the loud trilling of Joel's cellphone. Ray paused, sighing and shaking his head.

"You can answer that," Ray said.

"No, continue your story," Joel replied.

"No, honestly go ahead."

Joel sighed, pulling his phone out and answering the call and while Ray could only hear Joel's side, he had an idea as to what they were talking about.

"Hello?"

"Oh...you. You know me, always doing something."

"Tonight? At 10? Well, you know what, let's make it 9:30."

"Ok, bye."

"Did you really just answer a booty call in my car while on a date with me?" Ray asked in disbelief.

"It was my friend! She's....sick!" Joel protested.

"Oh, so you're planning on fixing her with your magical healing penis?" Ray snapped, unlocking the car doors and getting out.

"Ray, you're overreacting. You know from the moment you met me that you didn't like me," Joel said, getting out of the car too.

"I have no idea why Lindsay would think we would work together, you're disgusting," Ray spit, storming back to his apartment building and purposely ignoring Joel's reply.

-

In the blink of an eye, a year passed, and Michael and Lindsay were getting married.

Ever since The-Date-That-Shall-Not-Be-Spoken-Of, Ray and Joel hadn't seen much of each other. They still saw each other a decent amount, considering Ray was Lindsay's best friend and Joel was Michael's and Michael and Lindsay were dating, then engaged, but they never got along.

They tried, tried to be kind to one another and get along but it didn't work very well. Joel was arrogant and thick headed, and Ray was strong willed and stubborn and they tended to but-heads quite often. They weren't necessarily vicious to one another, but they weren't very kind. However, this was Michael and Lindsay's wedding day, and while Joel and Ray didn't like one another, they both loved Lindsay and Michael deeply.

So, they'd make it work the best they could. Currently, Ray was lounging around inside of Lindsay's dressing room in the church, waiting for Lindsay to finish putting her dress on. Ray had yet to see it and was excited to finally be able to see her done up; hair, makeup, dress and all. Due to Lindsay's parents both being deceased, Lindsay had asked Ray to walk her down the aisle and give her away to Michael, and Ray had never felt more honored. He had agreed immediately, and Lindsay had cried and while Ray would never admit to it, he had as well.

Joel was Michael's best man, and Ray had seen him quite a bit that day. The wedding was in an hour and a half, and everybody was running around like crazy. Joel was with Michael and the rest of Michael's groomsmen, all preparing for the wedding while Ray was with Lindsay and the bridesmaids, chatting quietly while people filled the church pews.

"You ready, Linds?" Kara, a girl from Lindsay's work, asked.

"I need help," Lindsay whined, peeking her head out of the bathroom door.

Meg, another girl from Lindsay's work, laughed and rolled her eyes, standing to go and help Lindsay along with Kara and Arryn. They all piled into Lindsay's bathroom-dressing room area and Ray could hear them stumbling around, trying to help Lindsay. It was a small room, barely room enough for two, let alone four people, one of whom wearing a massive wedding dress.

Ray laughed, standing up and wandering over to the full length mirror and standing in front of it. He wore a suit, black and form-fitting with a white undershirt and a skinny black tie. He adjusted the tie, only managing to mess it up further. He rolled his eyes, tugged it off completely and waited for Lindsay to come out and fix it for him.  
"You guys good?" Ray called, stepping back when Meg, Arryn and Kara exited the dressing room.

"We present, Miss Lindsay Tuggey, soon to be Missus Lindsay Jones," Arryn said, bowing deeply and gesturing to the room.

The door opened slowly and Lindsay stepped out, looking shyly at Ray. Her dress was gorgeous; tight fitting bust with a ball gown style bottom and intricate beading along the entire thing. Her hair was half down, pulled away from her face and a small veil sat on her head. She looked gorgeous and Ray's grin split his face as he teared up.

"Linds," he choked, pulling her into a tight hug. "You look so beautiful."

"Thank you, Ray," Lindsay replied, pulling away and cupping his face in her hands. "You clean up pretty well too. Where is your tie?"

Ray laughed and wiped his tears away, pushing her hands off of his face and pulling his tie off of the mirror and handing it to Lindsay.

"Could've just worn a clip-on," Ray pointed out as Lindsay slid it over his head and tightened it so it fit correctly.

"This is my wedding day, you are not going to wear a clip-on you lazy Puerto Rican," Lindsay scolded with a bright smile.

"That's racist, I think," Meg said with a laugh.

"No," Arryn said thoughtfully. "She didn't say he was lazy because he was Puerto Rican, just that he was lazy and also happened to be Puerto Rican as well."

The room laughed and Ray shook his head, pulling his phone out of his pocket as it buzzed.

"Remember to turn that off!" Lindsay called as Ray answered it.

"Hello?" Ray said, not recognizing the number.

"Hey, sunshine," Joel said, and Ray could hear his smirk.

"What do you need?" Ray snapped, scowling.

"Michael's having a bit of a freak-out, sunshine, and I need you to come calm him down because he's not listening to me. No idea why."

In the back, Ray heard someone scream "That's because you're not helping!" and Ray immediately hung up, kissing Lindsay's cheek and telling her that he'd be right back.

"Is there a problem?" Lindsay asked worriedly.

"No, no, not at all," Ray assured. "Michael just can't find his tie, so I might need to get him my spare one. Don't worry, darling, all is well."

Ray smiled until he exited the bride's room, his smile immediately turning into a scowl as he quickly made his way across the church to where the groom's room was. He entered without knocking, shutting the door quickly behind him and scanning the room for Michael. He saw him hunched over on a chair with his head in his hands and suit jacket tossed carelessly on a chair next to him and Ray went to him.

"Michael? What's wrong, buddy?" Ray asked, kneeling in front of him.

"What if this isn't what she wants?" Michael said, looking at Ray desperately. "I was sitting here, and Joel was saying shit like--like 'hey man, it's not too late to back out, you don't have to do this--"

Ray looked away from Michael briefly to shoot a glare at Joel who was lounging casually by the door. He shrugged at Ray's glance and blew him a kiss, so Ray turned around to face Michael again.

"--and I started thinking; what if that's how Lindsay feels? What if she feels like it's too late to back out? Like she has to do this?"

"Are you stupid?" Ray asked incredulously. Michael scowled at him, so Ray put his hands up in an attempt to placate him. "Sorry, but you know as well as I do that Lindsay adores you. Fuck what Joel says, ok? Lindsay loves you more than I've ever seen somebody love another person and she wants this as much as you do. Now, buck up and finish getting ready because you're getting married in less than an hour."

"Ok, yeah, you're right. I know, God, ok. Ok. I'm ready," Michael said, standing quickly and shrugging his suit jacket on.

Ray grinned and clasped both his arms, leaning in and pressing a sloppy kiss to Michael's cheek before saluting the rest of his groomsmen and walking out, past a scowling Joel.

Ray entered Lindsay's dressing room with a smile and a sigh, shutting the door gently behind him.

"Find his tie?" Lindsay asked, zipping up the back of Arryn's dress.

The bridesmaids were all wearing navy blue dresses with satin busts and lace detailing along the bottom that went down to a little below their knees, paired with matte black pumps.

"What? Um, yeah, got it covered," Ray grinned. "You all look gorgeous, girls. Ready, Linds?"

"Hell yeah," Lindsay replied, sliding her shoes on and standing up, shaking herself out a little. "Nervous, but ready."

The hour passed by in what seemed like minutes, and before they knew it there was a knock at the door for the bridesmaids to come into the room directly outside of the main part of the church with the groomsmen and for Ray and Lindsay to line up at the very end.

Ray grinned at Lindsay and offered her his arm, standing with her at the back of the line of bridesmaids and groomsmen.

"I'm so proud of you," Ray whispered. "And I'm so happy for you."

Lindsay looked up at him, eyes wide and full of tears.

"Pussy," she whispered, laughing quietly and watery. "Thank you. I love you."

"Love you too," Ray whispered, sucking in a deep breath as the last bridesmaid and groomsman disappeared into the church.

The two men manning the door raised their eyebrows and looked at Lindsay who took one last shuttering breath before closing her eyes and nodding, clutching her bouquet tightly and Ray's arm tighter.

"Ready," she whispered.

The men silently counted to three before opening both doors and Ray heard the wedding march start, watching as everyone in the pews stood and turned to look at Lindsay. Michael stood at the far end, and the second Ray and Lindsay stepped into the church, Ray watched Michael's hand fist by his mouth and knew he was holding back tears.

He heard Lindsay choke out a quiet and teary laugh as she and Ray slowly made their way down the aisle and towards Michael. At the end, Ray kissed Lindsay's hand and lifted her veil, settling it behind her face and shaking Michael's hand before standing off to the side behind the bridesmaids.

The ceremony started and Ray was listening intently with a small smile on his face when he felt somebody watching him. He glanced around, trying to make it unnoticeable when he locked eyes with somebody.

Joel.

He was standing right behind Michael, dressed in a dark blue suit similar to Ray's own. His hair was a little neater than his usual messy style and he looked...good. Ray sucked in a quiet breath and stared back evenly, slowly cocking an eyebrow. Joel smirked and winked at Ray, mouthing "hot" before looking back at Lindsay, Michael and the priest.

-

They were three hours into the wedding reception and, while Ray didn't normally drink, he was sloshed.

He was happy for Lindsay and Michael, honestly, he was. He loved Michael and knew he would be good for Lindsay, but he also knew that now that she and Michael were married, he would see a lot less of her. He and Lindsay had been attached at the hip for as long as he could remember and knowing it wouldn't be like that anymore, well.

Wasn't a real pleasant feeling.

So there Ray was, nursing his sixth drink at the bar by himself. He had already had his slow dance with Lindsay, and now she was in the large crowd on the dance floor. Ray's suit jacket was hanging off the back of the bar chair haphazardly as he leaned heavily on the counter.

"Hey, pretty," somebody whispered in his ear, making Ray jump and look up. It was Joel, standing over him with an amused smile. His suit jacket was slung over his shoulder and his hair was messed up, and his words bled together slightly and Ray knew he had been drinking as well. But Ray knew he drank more often than Ray did, so he was more likely to be able to hold his liquor.

"Thought I was 'sunshine'," Ray mumbled, dropping his head onto the bar counter. Joel laughed loudly, pulling a chair up next to Ray and tossing his suit jacket onto the bar.

"That too," Joel confirmed, ordering a drink for himself. He cocked an eyebrow at Ray and gestured towards his drink. "Didn't think you drank alcohol."

"Don't," Ray replied, "but I'm making an exception. Drank like--six of these things." Ray lifted his head off of the bar to wave his drink around in the air, nearly knocking Joel upside the head.

Joel laughed again, ducking out of the way and putting his hand on top of Ray's on the bottle, lowering it back onto the table.

"Alright, drunky, ok," Joel said with a smile that Ray found to be all too fond.

"Stop that," Ray pouted, reaching up to pinch Joel's smile into a frown. Joel smacked Ray's hand away and his lips immediately reformed the smile. Nice lips, they were. Pink. Looked pretty soft.

"Nope," Ray said, shaking his head at his thoughts.

"'You ok?" Joel asked, sounding amused.

"Perfectly fine, thank you. You have ugly lips."

"Can't say I've heard that one before," Joel replied, pressing his hand to his chest, feigning hurt. "I'm injured, Ray, you've hurt all of my feelings."

"Every single one?" Ray asked with a laugh. Joel nodded solemnly and Ray laughed again, leaning closer to Joel. "You know, when you're not being a jackass, you're kind of....ok."

"Thank you. When you're not being a pain in my ass you're kind of ok as well." Joel's eyes wrinkled with his laughter as he reached out and ruffled Ray's hair.

"Let me walk you to your room. You're staying here too, right?" Joel asked.

Ray nodded, stumbling off of the chair and pulling his key card out of his back pocket and waving it in the air in front of Joel before sliding it back into his pocket. Ray slid back into his suit jacket and took a few steps forward, stumbling the entire way. He turned helplessly back to Joel and frowned, pouting slightly.

"I think I'm drunk," he said. "I can't walk."

"I think you might be too," Joel agreed, walking up to Ray and wrapping his arm around Ray's waist.

Ray and Joel tripped together over to the crowd, searching for Lindsay and Michael to say goodbye.

"Jones'!" Ray called, spotting Lindsay and Michael. Lindsay turned around and scanned the crowd, smiling brightly at Ray.

"Ray, Joel! Ray, are you drunk?" She asked with a bark of a laugh.

"A little," Ray admitted. "I just love you both so much, but I'm going to my room now because I am a little drunk. I love you, and I'm so happy for you!"

Ray pressed a kiss to both of their cheeks before standing back so Joel could say his goodbyes and congratulations to the couple.

He watched Joel congratulate them both, pressing kisses to their cheeks and starting to walk away when Michael pulled him aside, leaning in close to Joel and whispering in his ear. Ray couldn't make out what he was saying, so instead he started swaying to the music, but still watched the couple and Joel.  
Lindsay was looking at Joel and Michael worriedly, and Michael was finally pulling away from Joel as if he was done whispering. Joel looked angry and offended, and Ray could hear Joel say "fuck you, I wouldn't do that to him!" before making his way back over to Joel.

"Take care of him!" Lindsay called, blowing them both a kiss as they walked away.

"You ok?" Ray asked hesitantly as Joel wrapped his arm around Ray's waist again.

"Yeah, sunshine, I'm good. You doing better? Can you walk?" Joel asked, smirking down at Ray.

"I could do a cartwheel if I damn well pleased," Ray snapped. Joel stopped walking and let go of Ray, gesturing in front of them and crossing his arms after. They were in the lobby which was empty save for them, and Joel was looking at Ray expectantly.

"Go ahead then, smartass." Ray paused before shrugging off his suit jacket and lifting his arms up.

"This is going to be the most graceful thing you've ever seen," Ray warned, running forward a few feet and flinging himself forward in an attempt to do a cartwheel.  
Instead of doing one, however, he went face first into the carpet with a groan. He could hear Joel laughing behind him and when Ray flipped onto his back, Joel was kneeling near him, doubled over with laughter.

"Are you--holy shit," Joel paused, laughing harder. "Are you ok? You just fucking--just fucking ate shit!"

"Fine, thank you, I meant to do that," Ray sniffed.

Joel laughed even harder, if possible, face turning pink. Ray stared at him for a few moments before chuckling himself, which soon turned into full blown laughter. Joel sprawled back onto the floor next to Ray and both continued laughing hysterically. It wasn't that funny, Ray was pretty sure he chipped a tooth, but he was drunk and young and losing his best friend and damnit, he was going to laugh.

Joel and Ray were gasping for breath minutes later, still lying side by side on the floor. Ray crossed his arms behind his head and looked over at Joel, a ghost of a smile still on his lips disappearing when he saw how earnestly Joel was looking at him. Ray's mouth went dry and he looked back, unsurprised when Joel leaned over and kissed him gently.

Joel pulled away briefly, silently asking 'is this ok?', but Ray simply leaned back in and kissed him again, shifting positions so he was straddling Joel. It occurred to him briefly that they were making out on the floor in a hotel lobby, but the alcohol was roaring in his veins and his blood was rushing in his ears and Ray couldn't have cared less.

"I gotta pee," Ray breathed, pulling away briefly.

"Sexy," Joel replied, laughing when Ray swatted his shoulder.

"I gotta pee, but after I'm done, do you wanna take this up to my room?" Ray offered, slightly shy.

Joel nodded, so Ray smiled and got up, walking with Joel back into the reception area.

"Stay here, ok?" Ray said, pressing a chaste kiss to Joel's jaw and leaving him near the dance floor to go to the bathroom. Minutes later when he walked back out wiping his hands on his jeans, Joel was gone. Confused, Ray scanned the crowd for him but didn't see him. Seeing Meg, Ray reached out and pulled her aside, leaning in close and yelling to be heard over the music.

"Have you seen Joel?" He shouted. Meg furrowed her eyebrows and spun around, glancing around quickly before nudging Ray and pointing over near the buffet.

"Over there, I just saw him a minute ago," Meg shouted back, winking and dancing back into the crowd.

Ray made his way through the thick throng of people and to the other side, coming out near the buffet. He saw Joel, but he was pressed against some busty blonde chick kissing her neck and Ray felt sick. He froze, unsure of what to do. He didn't want Joel to see him; he was angry and embarrassed and wanted to go home, but on the other hand he kind of did. He wanted Joel to look up and lock eyes with Ray, so Ray could angrily storm off and Joel would chase after him and it would be wonderful, but Ray knew better than anybody that's not how it worked.

So, instead, Ray silently went back to his room alone, feeling a lot more sober than he did a few minutes ago.

-

Another year past much like the last, except this time, instead of a marriage, they were celebrating a birth.

It was May 22nd, and Lindsay Jones was having a baby.

Ray had gotten the call from a frantic Michael at 3 in the morning, telling him that Lindsay's water broke and that they were headed to the hospital and told Ray to meet them there. He had immediately sprung into action, grabbing the present he'd had ready for weeks.

He'd grabbed his wallet and phone, driven to the hospital at a record speed, vaguely surprised that he wasn't pulled over. He was in the parking lot when he called Michael once again.

"Hello?" Michael answered, sound frazzled.

"What room are you guys in?" Ray asked, hearing Lindsay crying out in pain in the background of Michael's answer.

"100, ground floor, just go in and to the right," Michael rushed out. "Dude, hurry. Did you bring the stuff?"

"I did," Ray confirmed. "See you in a bit."

Ray hung up and shut his car off, grabbing the bag and heading inside the hospital. He went to the room Michael directed him to, knocking gently on the door before walking in. Lindsay was curled up on her side whimpering, gripping Michael's hand like a vice.

"Hey, Linds, you look good," Ray offered gently.

"Shut the hell up," Lindsay hissed. "Get this thing out of me!"

"That 'thing' is your baby, darling," Ray reminded her, setting the bag on the foot of her bed.

"Why did you do this to me?" She asked, looking up at Michael. "I thought you loved me."

"I gave you the miracle of life, how terrible," Michael answered dryly.

Lindsay winced again, squeezing her eyes shut and breathing in and out in quick progressions.

"Why don't you an epidural?" Ray asked, settling into a chair next to Lindsay's bed to rub her back.

"Not dilated enough," Michael answered. Ray wrinkled his nose and shook his head, continuing to rub Lindsay's back lightly.

"Disgusting," Ray replied.

An hour later, his phone buzzed.

"Hello?" He answered, stepping out into the hallway.

"Ray! Where are you?" Kerry asked.

Ray groaned and rubbed his face, remembering that he has promised Kerry he would be there at 4 AM. Ray owned a bakery and was supposed to open it at 4 to bake the goods for the day with his friend and employee, Kerry.

"Shit, sorry, Kerry. Lindsay is having her baby, and I can't come in. You can go home until I call you a little later, ok? Probably a bit after lunch," Ray told him.

"Sounds good, boss man," Kerry replied, and Ray imagined he would be saluting if he was in front of Ray. "But I am going to make some food while I'm here, I just won't open up shop and I'll leave them in the ovens for you to get when you come in."

"Sounds good. See you, idiot."

-

Three hours later, Lindsay was finally given the epidural for the pain, but still wasn't ready to give birth. They doctors told her that they would give her pitocin to move labor along or perform a cesarean section if she didn't progress and her baby become distressed.

That's when Joel chose to burst into the room.

Ray hadn't seen him since the wedding reception, but he hadn't changed much. His cheekbones were a bit more defined, and he was a bit more in shape, but otherwise looked the same.

"I didn't miss it, did I?" He asked, slightly out of breath.

"No, not yet. She's got another two hours maximum before she goes into labor," Michael answered, looking carefully between Ray and Joel.

While he and Lindsay didn't know exactly what happened between Ray and Joel that night, they knew something happened by the way they had danced around each other since the wedding.

"Good. Hey, Linds, doing good?" Joel asked softly, reaching out to pat her leg.

"Peachy," Lindsay grit out. While the epidural helped, she was still uncomfortable.

"Hey, Ray," Joel said quietly. Ray smiled briefly and gave a small wave before looking back at Lindsay.

"Alright, alright, let's check how far Miss Jones is and see if our baby is ready to be welcomed to the world!" The doctor said, smiling brightly at the room.

"Do I have to be here for this?" Joel asked quickly, jumping away from the bed. "I love you, Linds, but there are some things I should never see."

"There's a waiting room just outside, we can come get you when the baby is born. You can't be in here during the delivery anyway," the doctor said, gesturing to the hallway.

"Does that mean we're ready?" Lindsay asked hopefully.

"Are you ready to meet your daughter, Mister and Missus Jones?" The doctor asked, grinning at the parents.

"Good luck," Ray said, kissing Lindsay's forehead and squeezing Michael's shoulder before walking out of the room and down to the waiting room with Joel.

-

Two hours later, at 9:07 AM, Madeline Josie Jones was born.

She was 6 pounds, three ounces, 18 and a half inches. She had a mess of red curls, wide, green eyes and a sprinkle of freckles dusted across her nose.

"Lindsay," Ray breathed, looking into Michael's arms where Madeline lay sleeping. "Maddie, she's--beautiful."

"Not Maddie," Lindsay said tiredly. "I don't like the way that sounds. It's Madeline."

"Madeline," Joel placated, "is gorgeous. She's the spitting image of you guys."

"Do you want to hold her?" Michael asked, looking at Ray.

"Yeah--I mean, yeah, please," Ray stumbled, holding his arms out.

Michael placed her into his awaiting arms, nestling her head into the crook of Ray's arm. Ray smiled down at the baby, swaying back and forth and gently bouncing the baby. He made his way over to a chair on the other side of the room near a window, settling down and running his finger against the baby's cheek.

"Hello, little baby," Ray whispered, crossing one leg and leaning the baby on her back.

She grasped wildly and Ray held his finger out, slipping it into her palm. She grasped tightly to it and Ray's heart swelled. It amazed him, how much he loved this baby and she had been alive for an hour. Nine months ago, she didn't even exist and Ray couldn't believe it, that he once never knew her.

He felt somebody standing over his shoulder so he looked up, locking eyes with Joel who was giving him the strangest look. He looked...fond, almost.

"You look in your element," Joel whispered, not wanting to wake Lindsay or the baby who had once again fallen asleep.

"I like kids, I guess," Ray replied, looking back down at Madeline and smoothing her curls down.

"Yeah," Joel said, trailing off. "Look, about--about the wedding--"

"Don't," Ray cut him off, squeezing his eyes shut. "Don't talk about it. It's--whatever. Wanna hold her?"

"Um," Joel paused, wrinkling his nose. "I'd rather not kill Lindsay and Michael's kid, thanks."

"You won't kill her." Ray rolled his eyes, pulling Madeline into his arms and standing up. "Sit down."

Joel looked uneasy, but did as Ray ordered. It was a cushioned chair, so Joel stretched his arm out so his elbow was on the padded arm, giving Ray a place to lay Madeline down. Ray did so, standing between Joel's open legs and leaning down, gently placing the baby into Joel's arms and stepping back quickly.

Joel went stiff, staring down at the baby with wide eyes and Ray laughed under his breath.

"She's a baby, Joel, not a bomb," Ray said, "you can relax."

Joel stuck his tongue out at him but nodded, sighing deeply and relaxing slightly. He pulled Madeline close to his chest so she was laying on it, rubbing her back gently.

"This isn't so hard," Joel whispered, patting Madeline's back gently.

She started to wake up then, eyes fluttering open slowly and face screwing up to let out a small whimper.

"No, no, no, no," Joel said, eyes wide as he quickly offered the baby back up to Ray as Madeline continued to cry softly. For somebody who had a father like Michael, she was a quiet crier. Ray rolled his eyes and took the baby, shushing her quietly and swaying back and forth.

"Give her here," Lindsay mumbled, rubbing her eyes as she sat up. "She's probably hungry."

Ray nodded and passed her back to Lindsay, careful not to bump into Michael who was slumped backwards in a chair asleep. He had been awake since two in the morning, and it was now almost 10, so Ray couldn't blame him.

"I have to go to work," Ray said, smiling apologetically. "While I can go in whenever I want, being the owner and all, I should go in before lunch. I love you Linds, and I'm so happy for you and Michael. I brought the stuff, by the way." Ray held the bag up in the air and Lindsay grinned, taking it from him and pulling out the stuff that was inside of it. Some candy, crackers, and a stuffed animal that was Lindsay's when she was little but was now Madeline's.

"Thank you, Ray, so much. Have a good day, ok?" Lindsay said, blowing him a kiss before lifting the blanket over her shoulder to feed Madeline.

Ray ruffled Michael's hair, waking him up and say his goodbye's to him as well, waving to Joel before exiting the hospital room.

Ray had to go and open his store, and was glad that he was the owner so he was able to do things such as open later than usual. It was a perk to being his own boss, really.

"Ray!" Joel called, and Ray turned to see him jogging down the hallway towards Ray. "I took a cab here, do you mind dropping me off at my apartment?"

"Um, I kinda have to open my store? But--after I do that, yeah, of course. You might have to stay until noon though," Ray replied apologetically.

"I don't mind, sunshine. The more time I get to spend with you the better," Joel assured, smirking as he made his way out to the parking lot with Ray as he scowled, and

into his car.

-

The drive to Ray's bakery wasn't uncomfortable, per say. They sat in silence, but it wasn't an awkward one. The radio was playing softly in the background, some pop song that Ray would never admit to knowing the words to and Joel tapped his foot along to the beat absently, looking out the windshield.

It gave Ray a chance to study Joel's profile and he had to admit that he was good looking, and while Ray knew they would never be together, but that didn't stop him from appreciating the man. He had a sharp jawline and cheekbones that could cut glass; soft, goldenly tan skin and artfully messy dark brown hair and matching wide brown eyes. It was a pity, really, that they'd never work as a couple, because they'd look good together.

Sue him, he could appreciate a good looking guy. Even one as big of an asshole as Joel.

Ray pulled into the parking lot, turning the car off and climbing out, searching his key ring for the one that unlocked his bakery. Finding it, Ray slipped it into the lock and opened the door, quickly disarming the alarm before waving Joel inside.

He couldn't help but see his store through Joel's eyes; it was slightly cluttered, tables strewn around the bakery floor half heartedly. The chairs were still on top of the tables from the night before, and Ray decided to unlock the register and start putting out the rest of the baked goods before taking them down. The walls were white, and there wasn't really a color pattern for the store. There were bookshelves built into the walls with tattered copies of old classics and new stories and mismatched plants were everywhere in the store. There was a large bay window with a cushion in it, currently occupied by the white kitten Kerry brought with him to the store every morning. Right next to the window--as well as all throughout the bakery--were speakers, one with a USB plug-in that Ray usually plugged his phone into and played music through throughout the day. The walls were covered in paintings as well as drawings that his customers--kids and professional painters alike--made him. It looked cluttered, and all over the place, but Ray loved it regardless and so did his customers.

Ray went over to the speakers, pulling his phone out and turning the speakers on. He plugged his phone into the USB port and set his music to shuffle, turning the music so it was playing softly in the background as Ray walked away from it.

"So, I'm going to go put out the baked goods Kerry made into the cases. Can you--um, can you take the chairs down?" Ray asked hesitantly. Joel gave him a sarcastic salute before turning around, reaching out and taking the chairs off of the tables as Ray made his way back into the back of the bakery where the ovens were, lining the walls of the kitchen.

Ray slipped on a pair of heat gloves and opened the oven, pulling out the first tray of pastries and the second with his other hand, quickly making his way out to the front counter and setting the trays down. The food was still warm, thankfully, and the case would keep them just as warm.

Opening the glass case, Ray slid them in behind the doughnuts Kerry had already put into the case, positioning them on the correct rows. The top row were for croissants, both jelly-filled and regular as well as doughnuts and creampuffs. The second row were for cookies and crepes as well as doughnuts too.  
Ray glanced up, seeing Joel was standing by the book cases and examining them carefully. Ray furrowed his eyebrows and stepped out from behind the counter, making his way over to Joel until he was standing slightly behind him.

"Hey," Ray said, making Joel jump.

"Hey, sunshine," Joel replied, looking away from the bookcase uncomfortably.

"I need your help with something, if you don't mind," Ray said, gesturing over his shoulder to the kitchen. Joel nodded, following Ray to the back room after he had grabbed the two empty trays. Ray handed Joel a pair of gloves, opening the fridge and handing Joel a tray of cheesecakes as Ray took three trays out of the oven, balancing the third between his arms. Ray led them over to a table in the middle of the kitchen, setting the trays down and handing Joel a pie cutter and putting small glass plates in between them.

"Cut the cakes into six pieces each, ok? Then place each piece on the plate," Ray instructed. With seven cheesecakes made, each cut into six pieces, it would be more than enough to last throughout the day.

Ray himself had twenty-one pies, seven cherry, seven apple, seven pumpkin. One of the many things Ray was known for was his pumpkin pie; he was able to make them and make them taste phenomenally well even though they weren't in season.

They worked quietly, using their pie cutters and cutting them up and dishing them out onto plates. He could hear his music from the kitchen, as there was a speaker propped up on the wall above the stove, and the song "Take Me To Church" by Hosier came on over them. It was one of Ray's favorite songs, and he sang along quietly under his breath and he dished out his last pie. Ray continued quietly singing as he went and threw the reusable pie tins into the large sink, grabbing as many plates of pies as he could.

When he looked up at him, Joel was giving him the same look that he had earlier in the hospital, but immediately looked away when he met Ray's eyes.

"When you're done, um, putting them on plates, bring them on out to me, ok?" Ray said softly, making his way out of the kitchen as soon as Joel nodded swiftly. Ray placed one arm of plates onto the counter, opening the glass case once more before picking the pies up and bending back down onto his haunches.

He put the plates neatly into the case, arranged in rows according to flavor. He heard soft footsteps and looked up, seeing Joel standing near him with the plates in his arms. Joel bent down onto his haunches as well, offering the cheesecakes up to Ray who takes them carefully, one at a time.

The bottom row of the case was split down the middle, the left side heated for Ray's pies while the right side acted as a fridge for the cheesecakes and anything else Ray might want to make that had to be kept cool. For the time being, he put the cheesecakes in there alone, staying while Joel went back into the kitchen to grab more pies and cheesecake.

Ten minutes later, the case was fully stocked and Ray could start on the coffee. Behind the counter were three coffeemakers, two cappuccino makers and three blenders. Ray knew it was too late in the afternoon to make cappuccino, but people liked to drink coffee with their pies so he started up two of the machines, as well as started making smoothies. Also behind the counter was a fridge built into the wall with a clear door that Ray put smoothies in as well as things like individual ice cream containers and whip cream containers.

Ray made four of each types of fruit smoothies he sold--strawberry banana, banana blueberry, soy blueberry and lemon kiwi--putting them into individual cups and into the fridge, finally taking his gloves off and tying his apron around his waist, scanning his eyes for Joel.

Ray found him, settled into the window chair, holding Kerry's kitten, petting and making faces at her. He was bathed in sunlight streaming in through the bay window and he looked beautiful. Ray had to laugh, though, as Joel screwed his face up and stuck his tongue out at the cat, laughing loudly right after at himself. Ray smiled, trying so, so hard not to be fond as he watched Joel continue to make faces at the kitten.

"You're the prettiest kitty in the whole world," Joel cooed.

"Her name is Weiss," Ray supplied, his voice sounding amused as he grinned at Joel, who jumped and quickly set the kitten down, standing up and brushing himself off.

"Hey, how long have you--been standing there?" Joel asked, neck flushed red as he shifted around.

"It's--you don't have to be embarrassed, dude, we all do the same thing," Ray replied, laughing quietly as Joel blushed again.

Joel opened his mouth to start talking again, but Ray cut him off, stepping closer to Joel so they were pressed chest-to-chest.

"But, for the record," Ray whispered, not breaking eye contact with Joel as he reached his hands up to cup Joel's face.

"You're the prettiest kitty in the whole world," Ray mocked, pinching Joel's cheeks and shaking his head left to right gently. Joel smirked, reaching his hands up and cupping Ray's hands and pulling them down to Joel's chest. Joel leaned in close, and Ray could feel Joel's breath fanning across his cheeks and he did so. His lips were inches from Ray's own, and Ray's breath was caught in his throat.

"Wrong, babe," he said. "You are, in fact, the prettiest kitty."

Joel smirked and pulled away, and Ray twisted his face up and laughed sarcastically, giving Joel the finger before making his way over to the bakery's door and flipping the sign to 'Open', walking back behind the counter as Joel picked Weiss up again and settled back into the window seat.

"This kitten is adorable," Joel commented, holding her close to his chest.

"She's Kerry's," Ray said absently, unlocking the register and breaking open rolls of change.

"Who's Kerry?" Joel asked.

"One of my friends and employees, he's a pretty cool guy."

They both fell silent again, Ray stood behind the counter, absently scrolling through twitter and Joel in the window seat, petting Weiss. The bell above the door rung, echoing throughout the store and Ray shoved his phone into his pocket, looking up to greet whoever walked in.

"Hello, love," Mrs. Robinson, a regular customer of Ray's, greeted. She was an older British woman, short, kind and plump, hair always up in a smooth bun on the top of her head. She wore lavish fur coats and pearls around her throat and why she chose to come to Ray's frumpy bakery instead of one of the higher-end ones Ray didn't know, but he was grateful.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Robinson," Ray greeted, stepping out from behind the counter to give her a tight hug.

"I came by this morning, but you weren't open. Is everything alright with you and Kerry?" She asked worriedly.

"We're ok," Ray assured, stepping back behind the counter to gather Mrs. Robinson's usual order. "My friend Lindsay--you've met her, red hair, husband's got curly red hair and glasses--had her baby so I went and gave Kerry the morning off."

"Oh," Mrs Robinson said, clapping her hands together excitedly. "How lovely, I do love children. Please, give her some love from me?"

"Of course," Ray agreed, sliding a piece of raspberry cheesecake with whip cream on top inside a carry- out container over to Mrs. Robinson. "On the house."

"Oh, hush, dear," Mrs. Robinson scolded, pulling her wallet out. "You'll never be able to stay open if you keep giving me things for free."

"I will not take your money," Ray said, crossing his arms with a small smile. Mrs. Robinson sighed, pulling a $20 out of her wallet and stuck it into the tip jar, pointing her finger harshly at Ray when he started to protest.

"I don't want to hear a single peep out of you, Ray."

"But, Mrs. Robinson--"

"Not a peep!" She declared, taking her cheesecake and shuffling towards the door. "See you tomorrow, darling, have a lovely day!"

"You too!" Ray called, smiling to himself afterwards

"That was really cool of you," Joel said, surprising Ray, having forgotten he was there. "Giving her that for free and everything. You--you like, seem to be really close to her."

"I am. She was one of my very first customers, and--for some reason--she comes here everyday, at least twice. She's one of my most loyal customers," Ray replied.

"Was that Mrs. Robinson?" Kerry asked, appearing suddenly at the door of the bakery and walking inside.

"Yeah, why are you here, Shawcross?" Ray demanded. "I thought I told you to not come in until after lunch."

"Yeah, well," Kerry said, shrugging as he tied his own apron around himself and unlocked his own register. "Where's Weiss? You didn't accidentally lock her in the freezer again, did you?"

Ray pressed a palm to his chest, mock offended before shaking his head and jerking his chin towards Joel who was watching Kerry carefully. Kerry looked over to the window and, upon spotting Joel, froze.

"Ray," he said calmly, "who is the strange man holding my cat?"

"I'm Joel," Joel said, standing up and holding the kitten against his chest, walking over to Kerry and Ray. "And you are?"

"Kerry Shawcross," he replied, holding his arms out. "Please give me my cat."

Joel raised his eyebrows but didn't reply, passing Weiss over the counter to Kerry who held her to his chest protectively.

"Can you watch the store for a bit so I can take Joel home?" Ray asked, untying his apron and tossing it on the counter near Kerry.

"Yeah, go ahead. Miles might be here when you come back," Kerry said, rolling his eyes.

"You guys in an argument again?" Ray asked exasperatedly. Kerry and Miles were constantly arguing over little things like who forgot to pick up milk, who was the last one to be in the kitchen, things like that.

"He's ridiculous!" Kerry exclaimed, holding Weiss against his chest.

"Break up with him," Ray said, making Kerry go quiet.

"I love him," Kerry sighed, and Ray pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.

"Then get over it," Ray replied, grabbing his keys and leading Joel outside to his car.

Ray turned his car on, cranking the AC and pulling out of the bakery's parking lot and onto the main streets.

"Directions?" Ray asked.

"Yeah, sorry. Take a right up here," Joel instructed.

Within minutes they were at Joel's apartment and Ray was pulling into it's parking lot. Ray put his car into park and paused, unsure of what to do next. Joel sat quietly next to him, bouncing his leg up and down uncomfortably before speaking.

"So, um. Thanks for taking me home," Joel said, unbuckling his seatbelt.

"No problem. Thanks for helping me set the bakery up," Ray replied.

"Yeah, yeah, no problem. Anyway, I'll see you later," Joel said, but didn't go to move out of Ray's car.

They looked at each other, and God, it would've been so easy to lean over and kiss Joel, because really, that's what Ray wanted to do. Joel was good looking, and when he wasn't being a tool he was pretty pleasant to be around. But they weren't good together, it would be like running straight into a burning building and expecting the outcome to be fine.

So, instead, Ray broke eye contact and looked out his window, hearing Joel sigh and say his goodbyes before finally leaving Ray's car.

-

Before anybody had a chance to even breathe, Madeline Josie Jones was officially one year old.

Michael and Lindsay lived in an amazing house; two stories, four bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms. It had a large living room and family room, as well as an amazing kitchen--high end stove, fridge, pasta arm, everything a cook would ever want. Lindsay--like Ray--was a cook, a chef to be specific, and a damn good one.

She and Michael were well off, and the house showed it.

So that's why, instead of making Madeline's cake at his house, Ray showed up at theirs around seven in the morning. The Jones' were all awake and sitting in the family room and Ray could hear the from his spot in the kitchen. They were desperately trying to get Madeline to start walking and talking, and Ray could hear Lindsay saying 'alright, Madeline, say 'mama'!" then Michael would chime in with 'nah fuck that, Linds, say 'dada'! followed by, 'Michael I swear to every single god, if our child's first word is a swear I will kick your ass!'

Ray snorted out a laugh and finished piping a flower with frosting before stepping away to look at his work. He had made a three tier cake for Madeline, all three covered with purple fondant with silver polka-dots across it as well as a tiara made of rice crispies covered in fondant sitting in front of it. Poking out of the top tier were long toothpicks, each with a letter of Madeline's name made out of fondant attached, on the middle tier the word "happy" spelled out in letter candles and on the bottom tier the word birthday spelled in the same letter candles.

It was 9 am by the time Ray finished up, carefully sliding the cake into the fridge and joining Lindsay, Michael and Madeline in the living room. Michael was laying on his stomach on the couch, side of his face pressed to the couch as he snored quietly. Lindsay was on the floor with her legs spread, Madeline between them as Lindsay made faces at the baby. Ray bent over, sweeping Madeline into his arms and tipping her back so her legs were in the air and her head was against Ray's shoulder, cupping one arm around her and reaching the other up to tickle her. Madeline giggled loudly, that screech of a laugh that babies usually did when happy and excited.

"Ray!" Lindsay whined, flopping forward and pressing her face to the floor. "Don't make her puke, I just dressed her."  
  
"And she looks lovely," Ray replied, pressing a kiss to Madeline's cheek before bending down onto his haunches, setting Madeline on her feet and holding onto her hands. With Ray's help, she walked over to Lindsay, letting Ray's hands go once she reached her and falling forward, wrapping her arms around Lindsay's neck with an excited screech.

"C'mon, baby. Just walk, you can do it!" Lindsay cheered, standing up and bending over, setting Madeline back on her feet and holding onto her hands. Madeline whined, lifting her legs up and kicking so Lindsay was simply holding her above the floor. "Please don't start throwing a fit, Madeline, you've been so good all day."

"It was bound to fall apart at some point," Michael said, finally sitting up and rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he pulled himself off of the couch and kissed Lindsay's cheek, picking Madeline up. "I'll take her outside and push her on the swing for a bit, try and tire her out a bit before the party."

"What time is it starting?" Ray asked.

"Eleven, we've got two hours," Lindsay replied with a yawn. "We should probably go join Michael and Madeline outside. Fresh air, and that."

Ray nodded and followed Lindsay outside to their backyard, which was every child's dream. It had a two-seat swing set that was attached to a play area with a ladder up one side and a rock wall up the other. Underneath that was a sandbox that was filled with toys. A few feet away from it was one of those cheap plastic pools that was filled with water, rubber ducks, beach balls and things of the sort for Madeline's party, and it was directly in front of Michael and Lindsay's above ground pool. It was filled as well, presumably for the adults at Madeline's party.

Madeline was currently in the baby swing being pushed by Michael, screeching happily and gasping for breath, screeching happily again right after she had caught her breath and repeating it all over again. Michael was laughing as well, most likely at Madeline. She had a combination of both her parents laughs, and it was an amazing sound.

"Can you imagine, a year and nine months ago, Madeline didn't exist?" Ray asked, settling down on the couch swing that was on their back porch. Lindsay sat down next to him, rocking the couch gently with her foot.

"It's wild," Lindsay said, smiling fondly at her family. "She means the world to me, her and Michael both, and to think that they weren't in my life at one point is like--unimaginable."

"You pussy," Ray said, reaching out and pinching Lindsay's cheek.

"Fuck off," Lindsay laughed. "They are. They mean the world to me."

"Linds!" Michael called excitedly, causing Lindsay and Ray to both look over at him. "I think she's about to take her first steps!"

Lindsay and Ray both jumped up, jogging quickly across the back yard and over to where Madeline was stood in front of Michael on her own. Lindsay knelt down in front of her while Ray stood back by Michael as Lindsay tried to coax Madeline into walking.

"Come on, little baby, please just pass one milestone before your birthday starts so we can have something to show off," Lindsay begged, holding her arms out for Madeline.

Ray, Michael and Lindsay watched with bated breath as Madeline furrowed her eyebrows, staring down at her feet before grinning at Lindsay and falling down onto her butt, transferring onto her hands and knees to crawl eagerly to Lindsay.

"One day, Madeline, you are going to walk for me," Lindsay said, tickling Madeline's stomach lightly before putting her back onto the grass.

It was then Joel appeared, calling Madeline, Michael and Lindsay's names from somewhere inside the house.

"Out here!" Lindsay called, walking Madeline over to their play set and helping her climb the ladder.

Joel appeared on the porch, carrying a bear that was only about a head shorter than he was himself with a bow around it's neck. He waved to everybody, setting the bear down on the porch swing and making his way out into the yard. Michael was laying on his back in the middle of the yard, arms crossed behind his head and was napping again. Lindsay was standing at the bottom of the slide, holding her arms out for Madeline who was sitting at the top of it, looking curiously over at Joel and the bear. She kicked her legs and went down the slide, wiggling out of Lindsay's arms and crawling over to Joel who picked her up easily.

"Hey, beautiful," he greeted Madeline, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "How's it feel to be a year old?"

Madeline replied with a smile and a string of babbled words that made no sense, but Joel nodded along like he understood anyway, smiling down at her.

"Sounds stressful," Joel replied seriously, eyes sparkling.

Ray watched him hold her with one arm and grab the bear with the other, walking out onto the lawn and over to Lindsay and Ray who were sat on the grass next to the play set. He dropped the bear onto the grass next to Lindsay and leaned down, setting Madeline down in front of it.

"Hey, Linds," Joel greeted, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"Hey Joel," Lindsay replied, falling backwards and laying on the ground.

"Hey, sunshine," Joel greeted Ray, kissing the top of his head as well. "Where's Michael at?"

Ray scowled and looked away, watching Madeline choosing to ignore Joel.

"My lazy ass husband is napping over there," Lindsay replied, waving her hand in Michael's general direction. "Wanna go wake him? People will be arriving soon."

"Of course," Joel replied with a large grin.

Joel made his way over to where Michael was sleeping and glanced around, picked up a water bottle and twisted the cap off. Standing over Michael, Joel tipped the waterbottle over so it spilled onto Michael's face who sputtered awake and groaned.

"Joel, you fucker, I'm going to kill you!" Michael shouted, scrambling to his feet and after Joel who ran away with a shit-eating grin.

Michael caught up to Joel, bracing his hands on either side of Joel's shoulders and jumping forward, taking Joel to the ground and putting him into a headlock.

"Boys," Lindsay started, Madeline sitting on her hip. "Behave yourselves. I hear cars out front, time to go greet the guests."

Joel took Lindsay's distraction and used it to get the upper hand; he slid out of Michael's grip and knocked Michael down onto his stomach, smushing Michael's face into the grass with one hand and twisting his arms behind his back with the other.

"Uncle," Michael groaned and Ray laughed under his breath, walking past Joel and Michael and inside the house behind Lindsay.

-

An hour later, everybody had arrived. Kids were running around screeching happily, the moms surrounded Lindsay who was manning the barbeque and the dads were in the adult pool, some with kids, some without.

Ray was inside the house, opening the doors to make his way outside with the cake balanced in his arms. He carefully made his way to the table and set it down, sliding it to the middle of the table and spinning around, searching for Joel. Ray found him and grabbed two fistfulls of Joel's shirt, pulling him close to Ray.

"If you so much as breathe too close to that cake, Joel, so help me God I will fucking murder you and use your intestines to tie the bows on Madeline's presents," Ray hissed, letting Joel go and stepping back, smoothing his shirt down.

Joel raised his eyebrows and held his hands up, nodding and turning back to his conversation with some busty blonde woman.

"Cake out here?" Lindsay asked, standing beside Ray with Madeline in her arms. Ray nodded so Lindsay called everyone to gather into the tent.

Lindsay put Madeline into her highchair and put the cake down onto the table in front of it. Ray grinned and stood to the side of the table, Lindsay and Michael next to her as everyone sang happy birthday. They helped Madeline blow out the candles and she dove in with her hands, fisting pieces of cake as the adults laughed.

"Ray! Joel! Kneel down by Madeline. We want a picture of you of Madeline with her godparents," Lindsay said, pulling her phone out as Joel did as they asked.

"Smile!" Lindsay instructed and Ray grinned, blinking a few times after the flash of Lindsay's phone went off.

He yelped when he felt a hand pinch his side, jerking away from Madeline's highchair and almost knocking it over. Joel stood up, laughing loudly and made his way over to Ray.

"Sorry, sunshine, totally accidental," Joel said and Ray rolled his eyes.

"Fuck off," Ray whispered, walking away to help Lindsay distribute the cake.

-

"Bye!" Lindsay shouted to the last party guest, closing the door tightly behind them and exhailing loudly.

"Linds, you need help cleaning up?" Ray asked quietly, rocking a sleeping Madeline in his arms.

"No, it's ok. You put her down in her crib and you go the fuck home," Lindsay said with a grin and a kiss to Ray's cheek.

Ray nodded and turned around, walking down the hallway leading to the staircase. Madeline snored quietly and Ray smiled, walking up the steps and into Madeline's room. He carefully stripped off her shoes with one hand, using the other to hold her securely against his chest before walking over to the crib, bending at the waist and slowly lowering her into the bed. She shifted briefly and for a moment Ray thought she would wake, but she soon was quiet and still once more. Ray pulled her blanket up and tucked her in, turning the mobile on and turning to leave her room.

He jumped when he saw a figure in the shadows, but calmed when he realized it was Joel. He was watching Ray with a look on his face that Ray couldn't place; fond, maybe? Something about the scene was all too familiar.

"You look at home with her in your arms," Joel whispered, waiting for Ray to walk out of her room before closing the door quietly.

"I've always wanted kids. I think we've had this conversation before," Ray replied, leading Joel back downstairs and standing by the front door, slipping his shoes on.

Joel didn't say anything more, and Ray watched as he slid his own shoes on and walked outside, riding his motorcycle off into the night.

-

Two months later, Ray was in the middle of baking for the next day with Kerry when he got the call.

"There was an accident, and you were listed as the emergency contact for the woman, Lindsay Jones. Please come to Mercy Hospital as soon as possible."  
It was all he needed to rip his apron off and tell Kerry to watch the store, immediately driving to Mercy. It took everything in him not to speed, because he knew the last thing he needed was to be pulled over when something had happened to Lindsay and Michael, and it was raining hard outside and he didn't need to get himself in an accident either. He sped into the parking lot, shutting his car off and sprinting inside and up to the front desk.

"Lindsay and Michael Jones, what room are they in?" Ray demanded, slightly out of breath and the receptionist looked up, startled.

"Sir, one moment, please," she said, typing on her computer. She paused, reading something on the screen before looking carefully at Ray. "Sir, there's somebody I need you to talk to."

The nurse stood up and led Ray to a waiting room where a police officer stood. Ray froze when he noticed Joel standing next to the officer, but quickly shook himself out of it.

"What's going on?" Ray asked, glancing between the two.

"Ray, I'm--I'm so sorry," Joel whispered, choked. "Lindsay and Michael, they--they were driving and a deer came out of nowhere, and they swerved, and they didn't--they didn't survive the crash."


End file.
